Vaukavysk
Encyclopedia
Vawkavysk or Vaŭkavysk or Volkovysk is a town in the Hrodna Province
of Belarus
. It is the center of Vaŭkavysk district and has a population of around 48,000.
The first mention of Volkovysk in the Turov Annals is in 1005. At that time Volkovysk was city-fortress on the border of the Baltic and the Slavic ethnic groups. Since 12th century, Volkovysk was the center of a small princedom. The Hypatian Chronicle
mention the city in 1252.
During a campaign against the Lithuania
n princes in 1277, the army of Rus princes Mstislav Daniilovich, Vladimir Vasilkovich, and Jury Lvovich stopped for a night's lodging at Volkovysk. The last time Volkovysk is mentioned in the annals is in 1289, when Lithuanian prince Budikis and his brother Budividas transferred Volkovysk to prince Mstislav in order to maintain the peace.
In 1410 the city was seized and burnt by the Teutonic knights
as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. Horugva of Volkovysk participated in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald
. In 1503 the city received Magdeburg rights
from Polish king Zygmunt I Stary.
According to the 1897 Russian census, the Jewish population of Volkovysk at the turn of the century was 5,528, over half of the town's population of 10,323. In the period between 1919 and 1939 Wołkowysk belonged to the Second Polish Republic
. It was part of the Białystok Voivodeship and the seat of gmina
Biskupice
.
The height of "the Swedish mountain" from the base to the top of the defensive wall varies from 28 to 32.5 meters. The mountain's base is round with a diameter of about 350 meters. A flat top of "the Swedish mountain" nearly round and is 55 meters wide east to west. The perimeter of the flat top is surrounded by a powerful defensive wall broken in the south by the entrance.
The archeological study of Volkovysk was begun in 1925 by the director of the Grodno Museum of History-Archeology, Jozef Jodkowski, who was author of several books about history of the area, as well as tourist guides of Grodno and vicinity, popular in the Second Polish Republic
Other local sights include the Roman Catholic church of St. Wenceslas (1846–48, picture) and the Peter Bagration Museum (picture). The more prominent noble families of Vaŭkavysk included the Gołgowski and the Piotrowicz.
Hrodna Voblast
Hrodna Voblast or Grodno Oblast is a voblast in northwestern Belarus.The capital - Grodno is the biggest city of the province. It lies on the Neman River. Grodno's existence is attested to from 1127. Two castles dating from the 14th - 18th centuries are located here on the steep right bank of...
of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. It is the center of Vaŭkavysk district and has a population of around 48,000.
The first mention of Volkovysk in the Turov Annals is in 1005. At that time Volkovysk was city-fortress on the border of the Baltic and the Slavic ethnic groups. Since 12th century, Volkovysk was the center of a small princedom. The Hypatian Chronicle
Hypatian Codex
The Hypatian Codex is a compendium of three chronicles: the Primary Chronicle, Kiev Chronicle, and Galician-Volhynian Chronicle. It is the most important source of historical data for southern Rus'...
mention the city in 1252.
History
The archeological excavations conducted at the site of the ancient city attest that a Slavic settlement had already existed here by the late tenth century. This is based on the dwellings and defensive works which were discovered during the excavation.During a campaign against the Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n princes in 1277, the army of Rus princes Mstislav Daniilovich, Vladimir Vasilkovich, and Jury Lvovich stopped for a night's lodging at Volkovysk. The last time Volkovysk is mentioned in the annals is in 1289, when Lithuanian prince Budikis and his brother Budividas transferred Volkovysk to prince Mstislav in order to maintain the peace.
In 1410 the city was seized and burnt by the Teutonic knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. Horugva of Volkovysk participated in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
. In 1503 the city received Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg Rights or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted by a local ruler. Modelled and named after the laws of the German city of Magdeburg and developed during many centuries of the Holy Roman Empire, it was...
from Polish king Zygmunt I Stary.
According to the 1897 Russian census, the Jewish population of Volkovysk at the turn of the century was 5,528, over half of the town's population of 10,323. In the period between 1919 and 1939 Wołkowysk belonged to the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. It was part of the Białystok Voivodeship and the seat of gmina
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
Biskupice
Biskupice
- Poland :It is a very common place name in Poland, where 29 villages carry that exact name, and 6 others some variation of it. It is also the name for one of the districts of the city Zabrze...
.
Sites of interest
The Volkovysk archeological complex includes three heights: "the Swedish mountain" (picture), Zamchishche, and Muravelnik. "The Swedish mountain" is located in a southeast suburb of modern Volkovysk. There is a legend that during The Deluge, "the Swedish mountain" was created by Swedish soldiers above the tomb of their commander. It is the highest point among associates Volkovysk of hills a moraine of a ridge.The height of "the Swedish mountain" from the base to the top of the defensive wall varies from 28 to 32.5 meters. The mountain's base is round with a diameter of about 350 meters. A flat top of "the Swedish mountain" nearly round and is 55 meters wide east to west. The perimeter of the flat top is surrounded by a powerful defensive wall broken in the south by the entrance.
The archeological study of Volkovysk was begun in 1925 by the director of the Grodno Museum of History-Archeology, Jozef Jodkowski, who was author of several books about history of the area, as well as tourist guides of Grodno and vicinity, popular in the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
Other local sights include the Roman Catholic church of St. Wenceslas (1846–48, picture) and the Peter Bagration Museum (picture). The more prominent noble families of Vaŭkavysk included the Gołgowski and the Piotrowicz.
People
- Raphael LemkinRaphael LemkinRaphael Lemkin was a Polish lawyer of Jewish descent. He is best known for his work against genocide, a word he coined in 1943 from the root words genos and -cide...
known for defining the term genocide and drafting the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of GenocideConvention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of GenocideThe Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 as General Assembly Resolution 260. The Convention entered into force on 12 January 1951. It defines genocide in legal terms, and is the culmination of... - Eliyahu GolombEliyahu GolombEliyahu Golomb was the leader of the Jewish defense effort in Mandate Palestine and chief architect of the Haganah, the underground military organization for defense of the Yishuv between 1920 and 1948.-Early life:...
,leader of the Jewish defense effort in Mandate Palestine and architect of the HaganahHaganahHaganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
, between 1920 and 1948. - Zerach WarhaftigZerach WarhaftigRabbi Dr. Zerach Warhaftig was an Israeli lawyer and politician and a signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence.-Background:Warhaftig was born in Volkovysk in the Russian Empire in 1906. His parents were Yerucham Warhaftig and Rivka Fainstein...
was an IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i lawyer and politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and a signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence. - Aleksandr DedyushkoAleksandr DedyushkoAleksandr Viktorovich Dedyushko was a Russian television actor, best known for war dramas and the Russian version of "Dancing with the Stars"....
was a RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n television actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for war dramas and the Russian version of "Dancing with the StarsDancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
". - Yanina ZhejmoYanina ZhejmoYanina Boleslavovna Zhejmo was a Soviet actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1925 and 1955.-Filmography:* Mishki versus Yudenich * The Devil's Wheel * The Overcoat * Somebody Else's Coat...
(1909–1987), a Soviet actress. - Tadeusz KruczkowskiTadeusz KruczkowskiTadeusz Kruczkowski is a Polish-Belarusian historian and activist. He was the President of the Union of Poles in Belarus from 2000 to 2005. He is a lecturer at the Hrodna University.-References:...
- historian, president of Związek Polaków na Białorusi (2000–2005) - Teresa TorańskaTeresa ToranskaTeresa Torańska is a Polish journalist. She is perhaps best known for her award winning book, Oni .-Biography:Teresa Torańska was born on January 1, 1944 in Wołkowysk, Belarus, which was then part of the occupied Second Polish Republic. She graduated from the Warsaw University's Department of Law...
– Polish journalist, writer, historian